


because of u

by yuggyun



Series: monsta x: college students au [1]
Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 10:33:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16386251
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/yuggyun/pseuds/yuggyun
Summary: in which changkyun, an arts student, meets kihyun, a part-time waiter with an angelic singing voice / mostly fluff





	because of u

changkyun swang his bag over his shoulder and checked his phone once for the time.

10.30am.

he had time, plenty of time but he wanted to be early so he could spend some time alone and get his thoughts straight before sitting in front of a complete stranger he has to get to know in a period of approximately 5 hours.

he left a note on the counter for his roommate, jooheon.

_heonie, i'm going to meet that friend of yours, so please remember to feed the dog dog food instead of giving him snacks. thank you._

changkyun pulled his socks on and slipped his feet into his comfortable white sneakers. he sneaked a look at the mirror and adjusted his fringe a little before taking a step out of his apartment.

he hurried down the steps and made his way to the bus stop. he was nervous. it wasn't that he hasn't done this before, he has done this before way too many times, but it was always with girls. this time, it was different. it was someone jooheon had introduced to changkyun.

having failed attempts with finding a girlfriend, jooheon had suggested that changkyun can try out with a guy instead. changkyun was hesitant at first. he had every right to but he felt like he could give it a chance. no one will know what will happen if he doesn't try.

_hoseok, i think that's what jooheon said, lee hoseok but he prefers people to call him... wonho?_

jooheon gave changkyun wonho's number. the first thing changkyun saw, was wonho's profile picture. he couldn't help but deny that he looked...  _handsome, very handsome_. his gaze felt gentle, like he is willing to listen to everything you had to say with an earnest heart. it made changkyun feel warm and fuzzy on the inside, thinking about it.

changkyun shook his head, trying to get his mind off it. should someone even be allowed to think someone so much without them even knowing who you are in the first place?

just then, changkyun heard someone singing. the voice sounded so unreal. he had thought he had heard angels singing but as he looked towards the bus stop, he spotted a cotton candy haired boy leaning against the pole, singing to himself as he had headphones on, eyes glued to his phone screen.

changkyun picked up his pace to see how the boy looked like. he stumbled over his own feet and bumped into the guy. the guy took off his headphones, turning around with a frown. as their eyes met, the boy's facial features softened but changkyun kept apologising.

"it's okay." the boy smiled; the boy's eyes turned into beautiful crescent moons, with his cheekbones raised. changkyun felt his heart stopped.

changkyun kept bowing until the boy looked back at his phone. changkyun resisted the urge to smack his own forehead. it was silent but the boy's voice was so addictive, it kept playing over and over in changkyun's head.

within a few minutes, the bus came and the boy got on before changkyun. the boy sat down at a window seat, while changkyun stood near the door so he could get off easily but he couldn't help but keep glancing over to the boy. under the sun, he looked like he was glowing, like an actual angel.

_snap out of it, im changkyun. you are going on a blind date and here you are, staring at a boy who you probably insulted, with the cutest smile, and a beautiful voice... and totally out of your league, so shut up, changkyun._

the bus finally arrived at changkyun's stop. as changkyun was getting off, he noticed the boy glancing at him from the corner of his eye, or at least he felt the boy glancing at him. his heart fluttered but he ignored it. he got out of the bus just as the boy did as well.  _he wasn't looking at you, you idiot. he was getting off too._

changkyun walked off in the direction of the cafe, assuming the boy went the other way. he felt a little disappointed but the reason he felt that way made no sense to him. the closer he got to the cafe, the more nervous he got about the date, having completely forgotten about the angelic boy he had just met.

_what if he isn't... you know... gay? what do i do? do i just say "haha, sorry, wrong wonho"? no, that's lame. maybe "hi, sorry, i think i got the wrong table." or "pretend you never saw me here, 3, 2, 1" and i snap my fingers... hm, wonho, what an interesting nickname. why wonho? i can ask him that as a ice breaking question. but why? is he trying to show that he is rich enough to buy the word "won" in front of the first syllable of his name? it's not even his surname. but it's so cute and fun to say, wonho, wonho, wonho..._

he realised he had walked past the cafe and was in front of a boutique. he turned around to walk back and saw the boy climbing up the stairs into the cafe. changkyun panicked.

_is he also going to the cafe for a date? i mean, it makes sense. he is quite... cute. why won't he be able to get whoever he wants? why is that even my business?_

"chang...kyun?"

his eyes focused on the figure standing before him.

"hoseok... i mean, wonho. hi."  _guess i won't have time for myself._

they bowed towards each other and they stood a while in silence, not knowing where to look.

"uh, do you want to go in?" changkyun asked.

"uh, yeah, yeah, sure." wonho laughed.  _wow, he looks so much more handsome in person... and... fitter..._

wonho walked up the stairs to the entrance. changkyun followed behind, his head hanging low. he knew if he looked up, he would meet eyes with the boy and he needed to concentrate on the blind date now. he can't afford to be distracted.

"welcome!" changkyun heard someone say once they entered the cafe. he looked up, hoping it wasn't the boy. it was a tall, rather fit-looking waiter, standing by the counter. changkyun smiled and gave a small bow. he read the waiter's name tag:  _hyunwoo_.

"where do you want to sit?" wonho asked.

"i... uh... i'm okay with anything." changkyun tried to smile a little.

"are you okay with window seats?"

"yeah, sure." changkyun was still trying to keep his smile on.

wonho sensed it and he had a puzzled look on his face but it turned into a smile.  _shit._

they sat down at the seats and the waiter, hyunwoo, passed them menus.

"are you okay?"

changkyun looked up from his menu. "huh?"

"you look... uncomfortable."

changkyun chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "do i?"

"yeah, very." wonho laughed.

"i'm sorry... i'm really bad at this kind of things but i don't know why i keep going on these dates."

"oh, sorry... i-"

"no, no, no, it's not you, it's just... i... my roommate, your friend-"

"junior."

"ah, yes, junior, jooheon. he kept asking me to get someone when he is still single which makes no sense to me, honestly. i love being alone and for some reason,  **he**  finds it annoying?" changkyun laughed. "i really don't get it."

"you have a cute smile," wonho said.

changkyun was flustered. he laughed nervously. "i... er... thanks...?"

he buried his face in the menu, pretending to pick something to order.  _jooheon definitely did not warn me about this._

"hi, would you like to order?" an unfamiliar voice asked. changkyun looked up and his eyes met with the boy's. the boy's eyes widened. changkyun's mouth opened slightly, about to say something.

"do you guys know each other?" wonho asked, head tilted to a side.

"no," the both echoing each other.

"oh, okay."

changkyun peered at the boy's nametag as wonho was ordering.  _kihyun._

"and you?" kihyun looked at changkyun.

"i, uh... i want the..." changkyun looked at the menu but his brain was not registering any of the items on the menu. he looked up. "i will just get whatever he's having."

kihyun nodded. "okay. anything else?"

changkyun and wonho shook their heads. kihyun thanked them and took the menus. changkyun kept his eyes on the table.

"he's gone."

changkyun finally lifted his head up to see wonho's concerned look. "are you sure you don't know him? you seem to know him  **really**  well."

"what? no... i just saw him at the bus stop earlier and accidentally bumped into him. i feel bad."

"oh... well, i hope you apologised."

"of course, what do you take me for?"

"an absolute delinquent."

"what? why?"

"i mean, seeing that jooheon is like that. i must assume you are one too."

"well, he must be very different at school and at home."

"i suppose so."

and the conversation went stale. changkyun fiddled with his fingers. his mind was all over the place. he needed a question, stat.

"why wonho?" changkyun blurted out.

"uh..." wonho laughed. "i don't know actually. i just liked the ring to it, i guess."

"it does sound very catchy and cute."

wonho's eyes widened. "thank you! so, where do you study if you don't study at the school me and jooheon study at?"

"kangil college of arts."

"oh... that sounds interesting. what year are you in?"

"i'm a sophomore."

"ah, i see. so, you are younger than our jooheon-ie?"

_jooheon-ie. i have never heard anyone called him that besides hyungwon._

"uh, yeah." changkyun rubbed the back of his neck. "what about you?"

"i'm a senior in yungchang university."

"i see... what do you major in?"

"well, i-"

"here are your complimentary drinks." changkyun looked up, half-expecting it was kihyun but at the same time, was praying hard it wasn't him. it turned out to be shownu.

"ah, okay. thank you so much." wonho passed a cup of water to changkyun, holding onto his own.

changkyun's eyes followed shownu, into the kitchen. he only spotted unfamiliar faces at the counter. changkyun started biting on his bottom lip.

"looking for him?"

"huh?" changkyun turned to see wonho with a gentle smile plastered on his face.  _how is he still so nice, when i'm so obviously looking for another guy i didn't speak a word to, except for an apology?_

"looking for that waiter earlier on? the cute and shorter one."

"what? no... i mean..."

"you feel bad, but it just seems like..."

"no, no, no... it's nothing like that." changkyun laughed nervously. "so, yeah, you were saying, you major in?"

"i major in design."

"ah... is that how you got to know jooheon?"

"well, not really... i got to know him through hyungwon, who is in the same co-cirricular activity as me, so technically-"

"you're his friend's friend."

"yeah."

"making this even weirder."

"i mean... it isn't that bad. i..." wonho chuckled. "i'm kind of enjoying my time here."

changkyun could have sworn wonho's eyes darted to something or someone behind changkyun. he shook it off.

"th... that's great! me too!" changkyun laughed.

-

in a blink of an eye, changkyun found himself waiting outside a convenience store, for wonho to buy ice cream. the sky was dark, slowly being littered with stars, the longer he stared at it. he leant back in his chair, thinking back on the day he had just spent.

the first thing he thought of was kihyun, peeking out of the kitchen just as wonho and changkyun were leaving. but a date with wonho to Han River distracted him from the boy with an angelic voice and a pretty adorable stature.

changkyun got to know wonho better and he felt more at ease. he even started teasing wonho and calling him a rabbit which was his nickname in school.  _but will i go on a second date with him?_

changkyun's phone ping-ed. it was jooheon.

_**heon-ie bee** _ _: how was the date?_

_**kyun** _ _: it was fun... i didn't know i would enjoy myself this much._

_**heon-ie bee** _ _: so,,, what are you going to do after..._

_**kyun** _ _: go home?_

_**heon-ie bee** _ _: why are you the least fun person ever?_

_**kyun** _ _: i'm tired._

_**heon-ie bee** _ _: then crash at his place._

_**kyun** _ _: why do that when i can enjoy the comfort of my own bed?_

_**heon-ie bee** _ _: if you say so, but just letting you know, hyungwon is here so..._

_**kyun** _ _: sounds great. i will fall asleep faster._

_**heon-ie bee** _ _: what's that supposed to mean?_

_**kyun** _ _: hyungwon radiates sleepy energy._

_**heonie-bee** _ _: i'm telling._

changkyun chuckled.

"who is it?" wonho pointed towards changkyun's phone with the ice cream cone in his right hand as he sat down the seat opposite changkyun.

"jooheon." changkyun placed his phone down, reaching for one of the cones.

"ah..." wonho looked at his ice cream cone and gave it a lick.

they fell silent as they ate their cones. it wasn't like this earlier; it was happier, livelier. maybe they were tired.  _or maybe this is the part where we are forced to talk about our feelings and reflect on the day. i hate that..._

changkyun looked out towards the street as the cars drove by, the engine loud and vibrant before they die out as they disappeared out of sight. he started humming a familiar song yet the name was at the tip of his tongue. he realised it was a song kihyun had sung earlier at the bus stop and immediately stopped.

just as the silence resumed, wonho spoke up. "do you ever wonder if some things just happen for a reason but you have no idea what it is and to know the answer, you have to stay curious?"

 _what is he referring to? does he know i find kihyun cute? is he jealous?_ "yeah. but what if we get too afraid of what the answer may be or we get tired of chasing it?"

"well, we may get the answer, sometimes as if it were to have fallen from the sky, or we may never know at all, and that's something we got to accept, i guess."

"i would rather the former."

wonho nodded. "me too..."

changkyun had never thought wonho - if you were ever to see this guy in person - to think about such...  _things_  and somehow, changkyun felt like it will be easier to let wonho know that-

 _ping!_  changkyun peered at his phone on the table. it was jooheon again.

 ** _heon-ie bee_** : can you buy beer back? thanks.

 _ **heon-ie bee**_ : also, hyungwon actually agrees with you. i hate you guys.

"sorry, am i holding you up? do you need to go?" wonho sat up straight, eyes filled with worry.

"oh, it's okay. i actually need to get beer for jooheon and hyungwon." changkyun gave him an apologetic look.

"oh, hyungwon? he is at your apartment?" wonho didn't look surprised as much as he tried to sound like he is.

changkyun nodded.  _it is hard to read wonho's expressions sometimes._

changkyun stuck his finger towards the direction of the entrance of the convenience store and wonho nodded, swallowing his cone whole. changkyun got up and head into the convenient store. wonho quietly followed behind.

it was quite empty, considering everyone should be leaving for home after work. soft jazz music was playing in the background.  _odd choice for a convenience store._

changkyun grabbed a basket and walked towards the fridge for the cans of beer as wonho eyed a packet of chips. it was too quiet, even for changkyun's liking after a heavy conversation so he knew he had to say something now.

"do you drink a lot?" changkyun asked, taking as many cans of beer until he felt like he should stop, backfacing wonho.

"not really. i usually drink protein shakes." wonho quickly grabbed the bag of chips and placed it into changkyun's basket as gently and cautiously as he can.

"i can tell." changkyun eyed wonho up and down, chuckling. changkyun spotted the bag of chips just as he was about to put in another can. "and what is this?"

"thank you." wonho grinned at changkyun, who could only stare at wonho in disbelief.

"i am not buying  **that**  for you. you are my senior; you should be the one paying for it, even for the beer." changkyun shoved the basket of beer towards wonho, who took a step back swiftly before he touched a single part of it.

"will you buy it if i called you hyung?" wonho smirked. "changkyun-hyung."

"what a messed up world this is." changkyun squeezed past wonho's bulky body and started speed walking towards the counter. wonho chased after him, laughing.

"changkyun-oppa!" wonho fake-screamed softly, hot on changkyun's trail. changkyun was about to reach the counter, passing the entrance... just as kihyun walked in.

the basket of beer, along with the bag of chips, fell to the ground.  _shit. not again._

"i'm so sorry!" kihyun and changkyun exclaimed in unison.

changkyun and kihyun stared at each other, realising that they were standing way too close for comfort. kihyun took a big step back, almost hitting into a shelf of snacks next to the counter.

changkyun cleared his throat and squatted down to pick up the bag of chips and cans of beer. wonho began to help changkyun, so did kihyun. 

"i'm such an idiot, i don't know why i keep bumping into you..." changkyun mumbled under his breath, keeping his head down as he placed a can into the basket.

"huh?" kihyun frowned, tilting his head to the side.

"nothing, nothing..." changkyun's voice trailed off, not meeting eyes with kihyun.

kihyun examined the can of beer he picked up. "these cans are dented. i will help you get new ones."

"it's okay." changkyun waved his hand.

kihyun got up and carried the basket of cans of beer, the bag of chips still sitting quietly inside. "no, no, no... it's okay, i will get them for you."

kihyun walked off towards the fridge, as changkyun glanced at wonho, who was as confused as he was.

they watched as kihyun placed the cans into the basket. "why don't they sell them in boxes?"

kihyun walked back towards the duo and handed changkyun the basket with new, shiny cans of beer. 

"thank you..." changkyun said, taking it from kihyun as he did his best to avoid any contact with the older boy.

"no problem." kihyun gave him a gentle smile. changkyun swore that if his heart fluttered one more time, he would die from a heart attack.

changkyun stared at kihyun for a little while before bowing and turning towards the counter.  _should i have said something else? but what? you are really cute, wanna go home together? it's not like he lives exactly where i live... but i did see him at the bus stop this morning..._

changkyun turned his head around and blurted out, "kihyun!"

kihyun was at the shelf of instant foods and at the sound of his name, he turned, eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "how do you kn-"

"i can pay for whatever you are buying to repay you," changkyun said, slowly looking away. he saw wonho raising his eyebrows in surprise and mouthing "what? what about me?". changkyun shrugged apologetically.

"wh... it's okay." kihyun laughed nervously. changkyun's face fell. kihyun gave a sheepish smile at changkyun, then wonho before returned to the selection of cup noodles.

"i insist." changkyun tried to look firm.

"i..." kihyun scratched the back of his neck.

changkyun softened and stared at kihyun with the most earnest look he can pull. 

"okay, i guess." kihyun turned back to look through the shelf.

wonho smacked changkyun's arm. changkyun winced.

"what in the world are you doing, im changkyun?" wonho whispered. "the only thing he did was help you to swap dented cans with nicer looking ones, which was completely unnecessary, by the way, but when i asked you to buy a bag of chips, you whined like a baby."

"i don't know what i'm doing..." changkyun peered over wonho's shoulder to look at kihyun, intensely examining the contents of a cup noodle.

"right... well, all i know is that you complained about a bag of chips..."

kihyun walked towards them, with two cup noodles and a bottle of energy drink.

"and... you are willing to buy him  **that**." wonho folded his arms across his chest, frowning at changkyun but flashed a smile in kihyun's direction as kihyun got closer.

"is that all?" changkyun asked.

"do you want me to get more? i mean, i can..." kihyun teased, revealing a cheeky smile. changkyun shook his head vigorously.

"no, no, no, i just... i mean... i asked it out of courtesy..." his voice dropped as he placed the basket on the counter.

the clerk briefly glanced at the trio as if expecting them to add more stuff, or chaos, before scanning the goods. changkyun could hear wonho and kihyun getting to know each other in the back, as he paid for the groceries, and couldn't help but want to know what exactly they are saying.  _hopefully, wonho won't complain to kihyun about the bag of chips._

once the transaction was done, they left the convenience store. changkyun handed kihyun the plastic bag.

"thank you again..." kihyun said, taking it from changkyun's hands.

their fingers brushed against one another's. changkyun's heart was pounding against his chest. he couldn't look at kihyun, who had already walked off and was waving goodbye to them both, so he looked at wonho, hoping to look as normal as possible. wonho was happily waving goodbye to kihyun.

"why aren't you waving goodbye, loverboy?" wonho chuckled.

"what?" changkyun's eyes widened. wonho grinned.

"which way are you going?" wonho asked.

"the same way as kihyun..."

wonho raised his eyebrows, his mouth shaping into an "o". "well, i guess you will have to go now... i'll see you whenever, okay? i had fun today!"

"me too..." changkyun mumbled, smiling meekly.

wonho gave changkyun a pat on his shoulder and walked off, turning back after a few steps to wave goodbye.

changkyun waved to wonho, silently praying to turn around to see kihyun waiting for him but kihyun had already walked quite a distance. changkyun quietly followed behind, or at least he tried to as the cans of beer hit against each other in his plastic bag, ruining the tranquility of the night.

kihyun stopped and turned towards the sound. changkyun immediately stopped and looked down at his feet.

"chang... kyun...? is that right?" changkyun heard kihyun yell.

changkyun looked up. he took a deep breath and shouted back, "yeah."

"we are going the same way, right?"

changkyun nodded.

kihyun gestured for changkyun to catch up. "come on!"

changkyun hesitated for a moment before running towards kihyun.

**Author's Note:**

> there will be a sequel to this from kihyun's pov :) pls wait for it!!


End file.
